Silicon Valley University

Silicon Valley University (SVU) was a private, non-profit higher educational institution located in San Jose, California, US. The university was accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) at the bachelor's degree and master's degree levels until December 7, 2017. On April 5, 2018, the state ordered SVU to close and refund students' money within 45 days.

Not to be confused with University of Silicon Valley Law School.
Not to be confused with Cogswell University of Silicon Valley.
Silicon Valley University
MottoUniversity Caters To Silicon Valley
TypePrivate/Not accredited
Active1997 (1997)[1]–April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05)
Location
San Jose
,
California
,
US

37°24′01″N 121°53′38″W
Websitehttp://www.svuca.edu/

History

Silicon Valley University was founded in 1997 by Feng-Min "Jerry" Shiao (also spelled "Shao")[2] and Mei Hsin "Seiko" Cheng, a married couple from Taiwan.[3] Between 2008 and 2014, it had an average of 300 students; in 2015 it relocated to a larger location in an office park and recruitment expanded. That year enrollment increased to more than 3,600; the university reported 3,983 students in 2016, mostly graduate students in computer science and almost all from foreign countries.[3] In a Brookings Institution study published in 2014, when SVU offered bachelor's, master's, and doctoral studies, it was one of the five institutions in Silicon Valley enrolling the largest numbers of international students.[2] Shiao, who served as chairman and president, subsequently fell out with Cheng, who was chief financial officer, and her younger brother Kevin Cheng, the registrar; the couple divorced in 2017, and the university's board removed Shiao as president. Each side has accused the other of financial irregularities: the Chengs have accused Shiao of understating the university's income and of appropriating funds for personal use, while Shiao has accused Cheng of using university funds to buy real estate through a limited liability company registered in her name, OnPlus, which owns the office building where the university is located.[3]

Following student complaints, ACICS revoked its accreditation of the university on December 7, 2017, for failure to provide audited financial statements.[3][4] On December 27, 2017, the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education filed a fifteen-point complaint against SVU, for alleged violations including improper recruitment of students; hearings are scheduled for June 2018. After the San Francisco Chronicle notified the agency of the revocation of accreditation, the state notified SVU on April 5 that it must immediately cease operations, formulate a closure plan, and give students a list of institutions where they could enroll and refund their money within 45 days.[3]

Academic programs

Undergraduate programs
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS)
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCE)
  • Bachelor of Business Administration and Management (BBA)

Graduate programs
  • Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS)
  • Master of Science in Computer Engineering (MSCE)
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Certificate programs
  • English as a Second Language

References
  1. California Secretary of State: Business Search/Business Entity Detail—"Silicon Valley University"—Entity Number: C2057510; Date Filed: 10/07/1997; Status: Active Archived 2010-04-02 at the Wayback Machine Accessed April 26, 2011
  2. Lauren Hepler (September 4, 2014). "Beyond Stanford: Silicon Valley foreign talent pipeline winds through little-known schools". Silicon Valley Business Journal.
  3. Kathleen Pender; Nanette Asimov (April 20, 2018). "Silicon Valley college, called 'visa mill,' shut down with millions missing". San Francisco Chronicle.
  4. "Revocation of Accreditation - Failure to Submit Audited Financial Statements" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-03-26.



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